Ram tank

Ram tank. The Ram was a cruiser tank designed and built in Canada during World War II as an indigenous alternative to relying on British and American designs. Intended to equip Canadian Army armoured divisions, it was based on the chassis and suspension of the American M3 Lee but featured a fully rotating turret. Although it never saw combat as a gun tank, its reliable chassis became the foundation for the highly successful Sexton self-propelled gun, and the Ram itself served extensively in training roles within Canada and the United Kingdom.

Development and design

The Ram's development was initiated in late 1940 to address the critical shortage of modern tanks for the expanding Canadian Army. The design was undertaken by the Montreal Locomotive Works under the supervision of the Department of Munitions and Supply, with input from the British Army. Utilizing the proven lower hull, suspension, and Continental R975 engine of the American M3 Lee expedited the process. A key design departure was the incorporation of a cast, fully rotating turret, eliminating the sponson-mounted main armament of the M3 Lee. The initial Ram I model, appearing in mid-1941, was armed with a British QF 2-pounder gun and two hull-mounted M1919 Browning machine guns. Feedback from the British War Office led to the improved Ram II, which featured a more potent QF 6-pounder main gun, thicker frontal armour, and a redesigned commander's cupola. The all-cast hull and turret construction, a specialty of Montreal Locomotive Works, provided good ballistic shaping and manufacturing efficiency.

Production and service history

Production of the Ram began in late 1941 at the Montreal Locomotive Works plant. A total of 2,032 vehicles were built between 1941 and July 1943, comprising 50 Ram I and 1,982 Ram II models. The first units were issued to Canadian formations training in Great Britain, including the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division and the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division. However, by the time these units were committed to combat in Normandy, the British Army had standardized on the more capable American M4 Sherman. Consequently, the Ram was declared obsolete for frontline combat in July 1944. Despite this, it played a vital role throughout the war as a training vehicle in both Canada and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, many Rams were converted for specialized purposes, serving as armoured personnel carriers (the "Kangaroo"), armoured recovery vehicles, flame tanks, and artillery tractors, seeing operational service in these auxiliary roles during the later stages of the Italian campaign and the Northwest Europe campaign.

Variants

The primary gun tank variants were the Ram I and Ram II. The most significant derivative was the Sexton (25pdr SP, tracked), a self-propelled gun which mounted the British QF 25-pounder field gun-howitzer in an open-topped superstructure on the Ram chassis; over 2,000 were built and it became a mainstay of Commonwealth artillery regiments. Numerous specialized variants based on the Ram hull were also developed, including the Ram Command/OP vehicle for forward observation officers, fitted with dummy guns and extra radios. The Kangaroo was a field modification where the turret was removed to create an improvised but highly effective armoured personnel carrier. Other adaptations included the Ram ARV armoured recovery vehicle, the Badger flame tank equipped with a Wasp flamethrower, and the Ram Gun Tower used for artillery towing.

Operators

The sole primary operator of the Ram tank was the Canadian Army. The vehicles were used almost exclusively by Canadian armoured units, primarily within the First Canadian Army during training and garrison duties in the United Kingdom. Small numbers were used for training and experimentation by the British Army, and some Sexton self-propelled guns based on the Ram chassis were supplied to other Allied nations, including Poland and South Africa. No Rams were provided under Lend-Lease to the Soviet Union, unlike many M4 Sherman and Valentine tanks.

Surviving examples

Several Ram tanks survive in museums and memorials today. A well-preserved Ram II is displayed at The Tank Museum in Bovington, England. In Canada, examples can be found at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, the Base Borden Military Museum at CFB Borden, and the The Ontario Regiment Museum in Oshawa. A Ram Kangaroo variant is part of the collection at the Museum of the Regiments in Calgary. Additional monuments featuring Ram tanks exist in Wainwright, Alberta and at Canadian Forces Base Suffield. These surviving vehicles are important artifacts of Canada's significant industrial and military contribution to the Allied war effort.

Category:Tanks of Canada Category:World War II tanks Category:Cruiser tanks